Article by
Barbados Today

Published on
February 19, 2017

Health Minister Terrence Deyalsingh has announced that the sale of soft drinks in schools will be banned come April.
Deyalsingh said this plan of action was a way to bring a healthy lifestyle to the nation’s children.
Deyalsingh said his vision when he became Minister of Health was to address two issues.
These were the problem of maternal deaths, which he said have since decreased, and the banning of the sale of soft drinks in schools.
“On becoming Minister of Health, Trinidad and Tobago was faced with a very bad problem with maternal deaths, so I had a vision to decrease maternal deaths and we have been successful… and (as) the Minister of Health, and I take full responsibility for this, whether good or bad, is to ban the sale of soft drinks in schools from April,” he said.
Deyalsingh said he intends to roll out “serious policies” for children to have a healthier lifestyle.
He called on parents to support this initiative and asked that they stop giving ­sugary drinks and unhealthy foods to their children.
He said he was surprised to see children as young as 15 at dialysis centres.
He said it costs the State $130,000 for one person per year for dialysis treatment. (Trinidad Express)

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50 thoughts on “Trinidad to ban school soft-drink sales in April”

Jennifer

WOW, This is a step in the right direction although we need the parents on board too. What is our health ministry and public health doing????? WE HAVE THE SAME HEALTH ISSUE. It is utmost disgusting to see soft drinks trucks rolling into schools in this country. And then you get all this constant heath talk and how fat children and adults are getting, but no action. Parents too need to give their children healthy snacks and drinks especially water. This is basic understanding. Do not allow the children to bring the drinks to school either.

WOW, This is a step in the right direction although we need the parents on board too. What is our health ministry and public health doing????? WE HAVE THE SAME HEALTH ISSUE. It is utmost disgusting to see soft drinks trucks rolling into schools in this country. And then you get all this constant heath talk and how fat children and adults are getting, but no action. Parents too need to give their children healthy snacks and drinks especially water. This is basic understanding. Do not allow the children to bring the drinks to school either.

Wona Old People Trying To Take Everything. Leave Our Drinks Alone. If You Don’t Want Your Child Drinking Them Fine But Stop. Y’all Had Them Why Can’t The Younger Ones. It’s Bigger Things To Worry About Then Some Damn Drinks.

Wona Old People Trying To Take Everything. Leave Our Drinks Alone. If You Don’t Want Your Child Drinking Them Fine But Stop. Y’all Had Them Why Can’t The Younger Ones. It’s Bigger Things To Worry About Then Some Damn Drinks.

Noticing governments around the world is neglecting they duty , but they are also shoring up the corporates..
One country could have set precedence for the world , by having a set standard and labeling, also enforced penalties and abandonment of product against the corporates who are not following the codes of practice……

This is where you ponder wheres is this all going ,, smoking kills but large corporates is still manufacturing cigarettes…
Plastic bags is dangerous as we saw how whales and other animals are dying , by the bags and other effects to humans , but they are are manufacturing the same… what do we do……….

Noticing governments around the world is neglecting they duty , but they are also shoring up the corporates..
One country could have set precedence for the world , by having a set standard and labeling, also enforced penalties and abandonment of product against the corporates who are not following the codes of practice……
This is where you ponder wheres is this all going ,, smoking kills but large corporates is still manufacturing cigarettes…
Plastic bags is dangerous as we saw how whales and other animals are dying , by the bags and other effects to humans , but they are are manufacturing the same… what do we do……….

Barbados have tried it in the schools, but soft drinks continued to be sold. The only school in Barbados which do not sell soft drinks is the St. Micheal school.

As I said before too many organizations in schools for profit sell sweet things for fund raisers. The Principals are overall responsible for the school’s they must help to change this habit. The ministers of parliament in Barbados have failed at this, the work must be done by the physical educators and those directly in the day to day life of these children.

Incentives must be given to health food options, how is it the healthy foods cost more than unhealthy ones

Barbados have tried it in the schools, but soft drinks continued to be sold. The only school in Barbados which do not sell soft drinks is the St. Micheal school.
As I said before too many organizations in schools for profit sell sweet things for fund raisers. The Principals are overall responsible for the school’s they must help to change this habit. The ministers of parliament in Barbados have failed at this, the work must be done by the physical educators and those directly in the day to day life of these children.
Incentives must be given to health food options, how is it the healthy foods cost more than unhealthy ones

Have been calling for this type of policy in Barbados for many years. We need to add to this to include the sale of these products to school students by vendors opporating within 100m of schools. We need also to have officers in place to monitor and report breaches which should attract steep penalties. The health of the nation needs to be protected and of course there are those who need to be protected against themselves

Have been calling for this type of policy in Barbados for many years. We need to add to this to include the sale of these products to school students by vendors opporating within 100m of schools. We need also to have officers in place to monitor and report breaches which should attract steep penalties. The health of the nation needs to be protected and of course there are those who need to be protected against themselves

@ACST – These people are only interested in their pay pak. There should be a clearly
defined job specification for their post, which encompasses health. The Principals the same thing. Many schools will ask for pep drinks instead of freshly made juices. Train up a child in the way he SHOULD GROW and when he is old he WILL NOT depart from it. The aim of having healthy foods expensive is because it is all part of the PURGE PLAN. Have as
many people kill themselves eating the unhealthy foods, along with the contaminated, low grade medicines to finish you off, once illness sets in. Mind you the Minorities is not eating this unhealthy foods, only the Majority people. I pray that we wake up to see how these WOOD ANTS AND LOCUST ARE EATING. Georgia guide stones.

@ACST – These people are only interested in their pay pak. There should be a clearly
defined job specification for their post, which encompasses health. The Principals the same thing. Many schools will ask for pep drinks instead of freshly made juices. Train up a child in the way he SHOULD GROW and when he is old he WILL NOT depart from it. The aim of having healthy foods expensive is because it is all part of the PURGE PLAN. Have as
many people kill themselves eating the unhealthy foods, along with the contaminated, low grade medicines to finish you off, once illness sets in. Mind you the Minorities is not eating this unhealthy foods, only the Majority people. I pray that we wake up to see how these WOOD ANTS AND LOCUST ARE EATING. Georgia guide stones.

Juices in Barbados are also very sweet, even the ones marketed as unsweetened.
Fruit juices are also more expensive than soft drinks so they may be some poor parents who make the choice solely on economics.
3 soft drinks to serve 3 children cost less than an equal amount of juice.
3 apples to serve 3 children cost more than 3 packs of corn curls or sweet biscuits.
Factor in high unemployment or underemployment and offer up some healthy, cost effective suggestions to help these struggling parebts please!

Don’t get carried away people .As far as I see,it is the SELLING of soft drinks that is to be ban and not soft drinks to be banned from Schools.
That means children will still be able to take to School soft drinks.

Don’t get carried away people .As far as I see,it is the SELLING of soft drinks that is to be ban and not soft drinks to be banned from Schools.
That means children will still be able to take to School soft drinks.

The children & adults today watch TV or use their tablets Ipads/pods & don’t get enough exercise like we did. I try to keep my Gran’s active as much as possible when they are at me. There was a letter in yesrterdays newspaper written by Trevor Shepherd he said its is not the sugar in soft drinks but the amount of calories in foods that is consumed by people.

The children & adults today watch TV or use their tablets Ipads/pods & don’t get enough exercise like we did. I try to keep my Gran’s active as much as possible when they are at me. There was a letter in yesrterdays newspaper written by Trevor Shepherd he said its is not the sugar in soft drinks but the amount of calories in foods that is consumed by people.